Recently, motor vehicles comprise different safety devices which are capable of detecting in a predictive manner an impending accident in the form of an impact on an obstacle or in the form of a collision with another traffic participant so that a protective device can be initiated already before the occurrence of the accident event in time. An example for such a protective device is an airbag arranged in the inner compartment of the motor vehicle. Airbag systems belong to the passenger retention systems and comprise a gas generator which fills a plastic bag with a gas within a few milliseconds. Another example for such protective devices is a seat belt tensioner, which is coupled to an electrical and/or pyrotechnical actuator. Furthermore, body components, for example a front flap can be moved upon a detected, impending accident in order to form a deformation space between the front flap and the motor space located underneath the latter, which can reduce injuries of involved traffic participants.
Since such protective devices must be initiated already before an impact or a collision has taken place, there is the possibility of a false initiation, i.e. a protective device initiated by a predicted impact does not take place subsequently, for example, since another traffic participant or the driver himself initiated an avoidance maneuver. However, in such instances the protective device is initiated by the control device so that, for example, an airbag is deployed or a seat belt tensioner is activated or a front flap is brought into an elevated protective position. In these instances there is the danger that the driver, who is usually confronted for the first time with such protective devices, becomes frightened so that he executes uncontrolled steering movements or displays other reactions that endanger him or other traffic participants. There is therefore the danger that as a consequence of a false initiation of a protective device a dangerous situation or even an accident occurs.
The invention is therefore based on the object to provide a safety device for a motor vehicle through which a dangerous situation is prevented in case of a false triggering of a protective device.